The Blood of Stars (Updates Resume Feb 15)
by LifeofaWarLord
Summary: A naïve princess ran from her home, the Moon, to live among wolves. Her father in turn banished her from returning home as punishment. And it was said the wolf wandered, searching for a way to return home, before fading into legend. But there seems to be a little truth to even the most outrageous fairytale.
1. Chapter 1 : Prologue

AN: Enjoy! Stuck between making this a Tsume or Kiba pairing (I love Tsume with every fiber of my being...but Kiba is so sexy. Ugh God)

* * *

It is said that, the Moon was once ruled by a deity. The God took great pride in his task of controlling the moon.

The son of Mother Earth, he was sent to rule the moon, while his older brother ruled on the sun.

He was beautiful, with golden skin and hair that flowed like water, and sparkled like stars. When he became cold from living on the land, he fashioned himself a home from the dust of the moon.

When it was finished, it was a lush and glittering fortress. He left the moon often, looking to make his new home feel like his old one. He fashioned plants and animals from magic, and they sprang to life. They entertained him for some time, and he brought the moon up and down with a light heart.

But, eventually, he became sad. He was lonely, and he felt that no amount of magic or moon dust would give him the companionship he sought. He began looking for a bride, watching from his glittering palace as the people went about their nighttime affairs. He watched for many nights, and learned to hide himself among the humans of Earth in the daytime.

One day, he disguised himself as a man, and was travelling through one of the villages. He was taken by the men of the village, as he was not a familiar face, and was said to be a harbinger of death. The whole village joined, women included, to take him to the cliff. There, he would be thrown to the rocks at the bottom of the waterfall, where he would surely die.

A woman, with dark hair and skin like night, followed. She had watched the moon, and the God as well. And, she'd seen him coming down to transform in the forest. She watched for many evenings, and for many days. She studied his face, how he interacted with nature. In watching, she fell in love with his beauty, and was set on becoming his bride.

Soon, the crowd came to the foot of the cliff, and before he was pushed, he cried out to the people.

"I am the God of your Moon! To cast me to the rocks is death only for you and yours! If you send me falling into the water, I will blind and strike you dead one by one!

The ignorant people laughed, and prepared to push him. The woman stepped forward, asking the people for mercy. She was a powerful shaman, and was known by the villagers as an honest and kind-hearted woman. They stopped their execution, to the joy of the God. He looked upon the woman, falling in love with her darkness. He felt she was the night sky, embodied and sent to him to be his love. He transformed, and his hair shone bright on the townspeople.

He put a spell on the woman, so that she would live as long as he did, and that she would be able to live in life and eternity with him on the Moon. They went back to her home, and made love until the sun began to fall.

When the lovers began their journey back to the God's home, he pulled stars out of the sky to fashion a gown befitting his queen.

And, soon after, a daughter was born to them. Naming her after their home, they decided to call her Mehina.

Mehina was the apple of her father's eye. Some of her mother's hue had been given to her, but her fathers pale skin gave her a rich honey brown color. Her eyes were grey, sparkling like the stars. Her hair was her crowning joy, and a source of awe for both parents. More magnificent than even her fathers, it held the stars that would come to decorate the night sky. As her father brought the moon to rise, she cast her hair over the edge of their world, and freed the stars to scatter across the evening sky.

For a long time, it stayed this way, with father and daughter working together. And all seemed well.

However, things are hardly perfect as they seem. The God loved his wife and daughter with every fiber of his being, and his greatest fear was losing either one. He forbade them from leaving the palace, telling them tales of the war and disease that often plagued the Earth below them. His wife, not having returned to Earth in the years since meeting him, became paranoid. She believed him, and hid away in their home until the sun rose again.

Mehina watched the Earth below them nightly, seeing none of the horrors her father so frequently spoke of. She grew older, and by extension, more beautiful. Soon, her father would not let her leave his sight. To ease her boredom, she began arranging the stars in shapes she'd seen below on Earth.

One evening, she heard a howling, loud and mournful. She looked from her balcony, her hair falling over her shoulder to pool on the glittering floor of the Moon below.

A pack of wolves sat on a hilltop, howling and singing for her.

"Wolves," she called,"why do you cry?" Before her eyes, the wolves transformed into humans. Men, women, and children of all sizes and colors stood on the Earth. One, a woman, fell to her knees.

"We cry because you are so beautiful, and we see your father will not let you wander the Earth as he does! We wish for you to come, and to be our Queen. We see you every night, your hair shining so, and we are enamored. We are your servants, we only wish to be beside you!"

Mehina smiled, flattered that anyone had noticed her in such a way. She was naïve, and was herself enamored with the wolves. The night was her domain, and they seemed to rule in the darkness. It all made sense to her, to rule over the wolves, as they were ruled by her father.

_It was birthright_, she told herself. She looked down at the wolves, and promised that they would be together. So, for many days and nights, she persuaded her father to take her with him to Earth. She told him that, if she were to rule the evening as he did, she needed the skills he had. He thought about this, and eventually agreed.

For many nights, he took Mehina to Earth, teaching her to walk among humans and to transform into animals of the night. From wolves to bats to the tiny insects, she learned much about the World...or so she thought. The young goddess, although kind-hearted, was arrogant. After hearing the cry of the wolves, she became set on living among them. She only half listened to the teachings of her father, picking the best parts out to use as fuel for her wild dreams.

One night, her father gave her permission to go to Earth alone.

"But Mehina," he warned,"do not stay after sunrise." Mehina, planning to stay there among the wolves to rule as their Queen, only smiled and kissed her parents goodbye. To make her visible to her father, she kept the stars netted in her hair so that she shone like a diamond under the moonlight. This was done to ease his paranoia, and soothe his worried heart.

Upon touching the Earth's soil, she silently called for the wolves. They emerged from the trees, and engulfed her in their scent, and shrouded her body with theirs. They whisked her away from her father's searching eyes, to a far corner of the world.

And there, for many years, they lived. Mehina lived as their Queen and ruler, and she and the wolves were happy together. The sun rose and fell, and each night transformed into a wolf, silver and sparkling in the moonlight. Eventually, she became comfortable, and erected her own kingdom. There, flowers grew and the sun shined always. Wolves from all over came to join them, in the land they began to call Paradise. Her hair changed from silver to black, and she lived among the wolves as one of their own. She transformed, into a glittering black dire wolf. Paradise became a word on Earth, but separate from Humans. Each night, in the Human World, it rained with her mother's tears. When the sun rose, the tear-drops transformed into pearls. When the wolves crossed over into the Human world, they collected them for their Queen. Unbeknownst to them, this was a trap, a way of finding the wayward princess. The wolves would return to PAradise, and would weave the pearls in Mehina's raven hair. When night fell, they made her shine brighter than ever before. So bright, she shone like a beacon, and could be seen from the heavens.

Her father saw this halo, nightly. He left the moon, and began to follow the light. One day, he found Paradise. He forced his way in, and struck the wolves dead. He withered the flowers, seeing that they were made from the stars that were once netted in Mehina's hair. He brought darkness on Paradise. When all was destroyed. He took the Wolf Queen by the hair and dragged her from her kingdom.

"Since you have taken such comfort among beast," he said," you will live as one." he snatched the pearls from her hair, and shorn the sparkling silk from her body. Naked beneath him, she transformed to a wolf, dark and full of rage. She snarled at him, snapping at his body. He only rose above her, and regarded her with pity and sadness.

"You will live on this Earth, for Eternity. You will watch your wolves die, and you will mourn them. There will be no more Paradise, neither for you or the wolves. You will watch the world as it fall to despair and death. Then, you will watch as the world crumbles around you. Everything will disappear, and only you shall remains. And then, you will see why I kept such close eye on you, and you will regret having ever taken advantage of me."

The pearls crumbled to dust, and her wolves turned to ash. He disappeared, leaving his daughter howling for her fallen friends. And she walked in her wolf form for many years, punishment for causing the death of so many. She watched the world change around her, and changed to adapt as well. And, as wolves neared extinction, sightings of the Black Direwolf lessened.

Eventually, Mehina became nothing more than myth, a tale told by humans and wolves alike.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Our favorite wolves will be in the next chapter! As always, check my profile for edits/updates on this story and others. Have a safe day/evening, and enjoy! :)

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"Mina."

The girl turned to her subordinate, Fenrir, peering at him through the tint of her round wire frame glasses. She'd been staring off into space again, focusing on the faint scent that hung in the air of the city.

It was so familiar to her, but she'd learned at this point that getting her hopes up was as dangerous as it was stupid.

"We'll stay here. Everyone fan out, look for food, and come here at dusk. Stay with at least one other person." Fenrir nodded, coming closer to her. Mina let him get close, and move to adjust the burgundy skull-cap on her dark hair and tuck the stray strands behind a brown ear. What wasn't covered by her hat, fell down her back into a low pony-tail.

She turned to look at the rest of the pack, as they moved around and began to leave the sewer.

"Why the sewer, again?" he asked, wrinkling his nose for emphasis.

"Entire Packs are wiped out by the humans in cities. We need to keep low profile, and a pack of six is rare for a reason. Kizu is young, kid can't go more than a few days without rest. So we'll stay here in Freeze City for the next day or so, under the radar. Under the city, we'll be safe."

I was just asking, because you know the Full moon is -"

"We'll be fine, Fen. Now let's go." She patted her Second on the back, the ran to exit one of the sewer grates. The pair walked casually out of the alleyway and merged with the humans in the busy street. They spotted an old building nearby, and ran across the street. They disappeared down the alley, and ran up the fire escape to the roof.

They were looking for birds ideally. The feathered prey travelled in groups, and they were filling. A flock could feed a pack of twelve easily, so it'd last them easily until they got moving again. Fenrir, opened the door, pulling her through.

"You wanna split up from here, meet back in thirty minutes?" He asked, putting his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. Mina looked around the rooftops of the city. She paused on a giant tree, to her left, where a group gathered. Fenrir didn't handle groups larger than his own well, often initiating fights. But these were humans, and they couldn't afford to bring any attention to themselves. She quickly looked away from the tree to Fenrir, giving him a nod.

"You take the right side. In thirty, we'll go to the next side of town and do the same. Keep out of trouble Fen," she waited till he turned and left, is blonde hair swinging in the wind. When he got a good distance away, she ran along the pipes and cement that connected the buildings. She did not get near the tree, but ran adjacent a few hundred feet away. When the group that was there left, she'd go to grab whatever was left.

She moved quietly, getting closer, until she stood above the building.

As soon as her feet connected with the concrete, a shriek tore through the daytime sky. The smell of blood filled her senses, and the scent of wolves engulfed her. There were two, and neither of them belonged to her pack. She squinted through her glasses, watching as a white wolf leaped from the hollow of the tree to attack two boys. He killed one, maimed the other, and was moving toward a small boy.

She could intervene, but it was not her business. Besides, if he took them out, not only would she be able to get to the birds in the tree…she could take back the bodies as well.

"It's always sad to see the little ones go….oh well."

She crouched on the ground, watching intently. The kid was terrified, and Mina could smell the beginning trickles of piss in his pants, and fear turned the scent of his sweat bitter. Suddenly a tall, dark man in leather stepped forward and threw the kid behind him. The man moved in front of him, challenging the white wolf. It gave pause, letting the man run away. As he ran, Mina immediately saw his true form, and the scar across his chest.

"A coward, leading a band of humans. How fitting." She sat down, leaving them to handle whatever business they had. They'd be gone soon, and she could bring all her spoils home then. She smiled again, as they argued. The white wolf was prideful, and disgusted by the other.

Not that she could blame him. Living _amongst_ humans and living _with_ them were two different things, and one was more trouble than it was worth. The grey one, the coward, lunged at him. The two snapped at one another, fighting. The rich, musky scent of wolves blood filled the air around them, hanging like a second skin on Mina's body.

No sooner than the smell hit the air did she fell a murmur in her chest. It came in a flash, and rang in her body like bells. She whipped her head around, focusing on the almost imperceptible scent of flowers again.

This was the longest she'd smelled the Lunar Flower at any given time, and it had gotten slightly stronger when the flesh of the wolves broke. Mina got up, hopping from her perch to run back in the direction she'd come. The smell persisted, hanging in a fine mist inside her nose.

_It's here._

xXx

The thirty minutes came, and she met with Fen as promised. She had gotten the birds, snapped their necks, and put them in the book bag of the boy the white wolf killed.

"Take these," she said, tossing him the heavy book bag. He looked at his own measly bird pile, then laughed. She laughed as well, but it didn't reach her eyes. Fenrir noticed, but ignored it.

"Gee, I knew there was a reason you were pack master." At that, she only smiled, walking up to put a hand on his shoulder. He knew what it was before she said it, but forced himself to wait until she spoke.

"Fen. I want you to take the wolves tonight. Get them out of town, at least outside of the walls." Fen pushed her hand away, laughing nervously. He'd known the day would come, just not this soon. The pack had traveled under Mina's leadership for some time, but everyone knew she was different. They knew she'd be gone when she found a trace of what it was she wanted most, and it was a passing phase. The year they spent together now felt like only a few hours.

"C'mon Mina! I don't know my way around as well as you! I'm not good with that leader stuff, you know that!" He waved his hand around, still laughing. Mina just smiled, and moved to put her hand back on his shoulder.

"That's what the group is for. Use their talents to survive. It's not all up to you, Fen." She was smiling as if this was just polite conversation. It was if she were talking to a stranger about the weather.

Fen could see she had left them already, detached herself from them. But she couldn't leave not now. He felt his lip quiver, but he kept it together. He remembered her smile, the way she fell into his body at night. She couldn't leave now, after what started between them.

"But -"

"I've already decided. Something's come up, and I gotta follow it. We all knew this was only temporary. Now," she smiled and took her glasses off,"If you'd rather refuse me, the others will die…and it will be your fault. Step up and care for you pack members in my absence, and that's an order." Her grey eyes indifferent, she turned her back, her hair shining in the light. Fen sighed, a wave of anger coursing through his veins.

"You're still chasing after that stupid story. There's nothing left, it's just a made up thing, Mina! Stay with us! We're real, and we need you." She kept walking, and began laughing at him. She stopped, a considerable distance from Fenrir. He could go after her, but she would easily get away. He could challenge her, but she would kill him.

She turned, only slightly, giving him her profile. He waited, thinking he'd struck a nerve. She was sensitive about _that_, and if he could make her see reason, he was sure she'd stay.

"Oh puppy, did you think I enjoyed playing house with you?" Fen jumped, almost dropping the bag of food. She turned, a smirk on her face at his reaction.

"Take that food, a parting gift. I overheard tonight there would be a huge explosion, probably thieves. The guard will be out, both in the city and below it, and they'll kill any wolves they see. I suggest you move outside the walls, and find refuge in the woods."

Before Fen could say something else, she was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

She lay in her perch, green hair flowing and pooling on the floor beneath her. In the dark, a tear rolled out of her lover's eye.

_Hamona._

The noble couldn't think past her face, expression serene in her slumber. The Darcia family curse sank it's fangs into her, all those years ago, and he'd thought he'd lost her. But, the opportunity to pull her out of her accursed daze was finally upon them. Shrouded in darkness, he smiled down his love. The tear fell from his face, and landed on the creamy flesh of her cheek. Her beauty seemed to illuminate her, a dim beacon in the emptiness of the room and in his heart. The tear sat on her skin, like dew on a flower.

In the distance, footsteps echoed. He didn't not turn to see who it was. In this world, Darcia had only one person besides Hamona : his servant, Niege.

"A Wolf has appeared, Master Darcia….in the North City." Her voice echoed in the huge room, reverberating and hollowing into Darcia's mind. He'd known the Key was in North City. He could have retrieved it, the daughter of the flower, at any time. However, he knew a wolf would come and awaken her. It was better not to get his own hands dirty, at least not yet.

"Is she awake yet?" He asked, still looking down at the ever sleeping Hamona.

"She is, Master." Darcia reached up to wipe the dew from his sleeping beauty. He looked out the window, towards the direction of the northern city.

"I see."

xXx

"I'm starving", The red wolf whined, moving through the city quietly. He'd gotten the chance to eat earlier, but he messed it up.

As usual.

He didn't know what was wrong with him. Interacting with humans was something that took all of his attention. Not in a bad way or anything….it just made him so happy. He was nice and small enough to get petted and fed by them, but just being near them made him feel warm and important and happy. He often forgot whatever scraps they there him, letting the birds take them.

_Which is why I haven't eaten in three days. Stupid Toboe! Get it together!_

He moved down an alley, and moved to turn to go to a food stall. But he was cut off by a girl, in a beanie and a camouflage jacket. She was tall, maybe 5'9", with long dark hair and tan skin. She turned, circular sunglasses hiding her eyes. Toboe just stared up at her, shocked.

"So you aren't going to apologize, I take it?" She said. At that, Toboe kind of jumped. He had never seen anyone like him before, he was just surprised. He'd forgotten his manners. Excitement coursed through his small body.

"Hey! I'm sorr- it's just...you're a wolf!" He said, smiling with excitement. She tipped her head down, looking at him over her sunglasses. He could see through her human form, and a big black wolf stood in her place. It was a lot bigger than him, and Toboe wondered if her size meant she was mixed with anything else.

"You don't see a lot of those, do you?" she asked. The boy's smile grew wider. She was right: he'd never seen another wolf in his life. For a while, he thought he was alone in the world. He'd heard from many humans that wolves had gone extinct.

"No! I haven't! You're my first! Do you wanna-"

"I don't, actually." She cut him off, hopping up the walls. Toboe was a little stung by her, but he tried not to show it. He looked up at her on the rooftop.

"Hey! Come back!" She stopped walking, and crouched on the rooftop. She tipped her glasses down, looking at him.

"Can't. I'm looking for something. But! There's another wolf not too far away, a couple of buildings over that way. He'd probably be more willing to hang out with you," she got up,"Goodbye little one!" She gained speed quickly, and pretty soon she was out of his range of senses altogether. He figured she was just busy, and maybe she'd pointed him in the direction of whoever she was traveling with. So, he walked in the direction she'd pointed him in. The stone buildings towered over him, and he walked deeper into the labyrinth of Freeze City.

He crossed, and bumped into somebody else.

_Jeez, what is wrong with me today?_ he thought, looking up at the man. He paused, seeing that he was also a wolf.

_Hey! This must be the guy!_

"Hi!" He said, smiling. The man looked down at him, and Toboe saw his brows crunch together. Even with the sunglasses, he seemed like a less than friendly fellow. But Toboe wasn't gonna let this one get away. He'd been walking through this maze of a city alone long enough. He was gonna have some kind of friend here, even if it killed him.

He looked up at the man again, gasping.

"Hey! I recognize you! You're the one the crows have been talking about! You're the guy whose been leading the humans to riot!" His eyes widened in excitement. He knew riots were a bad thing, but he was practically a hero…to humans anyway. Toboe paid a lot of attention to human conversation, as well as the gossip of the other animals in the city. The crows in particular, had the best information.

_They have eyes in the sky, they've seen this guy at work_, Toboe thought. His smile spread to a full grin.

_He's like Peter Pan! Wow, maybe that other wolf is working with him! They might be looking for new recruits….maybe they'll let me join in the next riot or something!_

The man was still looking at Toboe, who was busy grinning and thinking of fairy tales. When Toboe realized he only had one chance to make an impression. He exhaled and puffed his chest.

"I just wanted to say I'm happy to be able to meet you! I'm amazed-"

"Shut up. Just looking at kids like you pisses me off." Toboe immediately did as he was told. The older wolf just looked down at him, in obvious disgust. Toboe's heart dropped into his stomach. Defeated, he dropped his ears and tucked his tail. He lowered his eyes, down to the silver bracelets on his wrist.

I'm always messing things up…maybe he can sense that I'm a screw-up.

"Don't follow me," He said coldly. Then the wolf walked off, and rounded the corner without a second glance. No sooner than he rounded the corner, did Toboe hear the cock of a gun behind him. He turned, to see an old man and his pet wolf. It was obvious she'd led the man here, and they'd probably been following that guy. Toboe didn't say anything to her, understanding that love for your human often made you not yourself. It didn't excuse killing your own kind, but he understood nonetheless. The old man reeked of alcohol, and he pointed the barrel of his weapon at Toboe.

"You're still hiding behind human eyes? Well, you won't get away from me that easily! I see through you, death-bringer!" Toboe tensed, ready for the impact of the bullet. He shut his eyes as he pulled the trigger. In front of him, he heard skin tearing, and the clatter of metal on the opened his eyes, seeing the guy from before.

He…he saved me?

He only looked over Toboe for a moment, seeming to check if he'd been hurt. Then he was gone, jumping to the roof.

"Hurry up you brat! Unless you want that guy to shoot you after all!"

Toboe looked up at him, then back at the old man. He jumped as well, coming to meet the grey wolf on the roof. He was already walking off, hands in his pockets. Toboe smiled, happy he'd come back for him.

Maybe I can come with him after all?

At the sound of his footsteps, the wolf turned.

"What part about 'Don't follow me' didn't you get, you brat?" Toboe quickly dropped his smile, a light blush spreading on his cheeks. He didn't wanna be alone, especially not with that guy and his pet tracking wolves. He had to think fast if he didn't want to be left to fend for himself again.

"I'm not following you!" He said. The wolf didn't move, still looking at him. Toboe paused, thinking of how to word it.

"What I mean to say is… I just happened to be going the same way. I'm not following you, we just happened to be walking the same direction." The wolf turned, and continued to walk on.

Toboe took a shy step forward. The rebel wolf didn't say anything, so Toboe followed him, the setting sun on his back.

"Ya know, your friend told me where to find you." The man turned, tilting his head in confusion.

"I don't have any friends kid. That bullet must have grazed you. I work alone." Toboe looked at him, confused. He thought about explaining, but thought better of it.

The pair continued in silence, a black ship zooming over the wall.

xXx

Getting inside had been child's play. First, Darcia took out the building's power knew the lab's energy ran independent of the Then, he followed to fragrant scent of flowers. He revealed his wolf's eye to all who stood in his way. He was not in a hurry for fear of capture so much as he was to hurry back to Hamona. With the daughter of the flower in his possession, she could be awake soon. he moved quietly down the halls, and came to the open mouth of the lab.

There stood a blonde woman in a lab coat. Before her, was an orb-filled with fluid. His prize stood in her prison, chained by the neck to the container. She wasn't responsive, but her eyes were wide open.

The scientist had not seen him come in, and was speaking to her now sleeping assistant.

"There's no reason to worry about the power. Our lab runs independent of everything else. It'll be back on soon…but she's beautiful…unlike anything I've seen before."

Darcia took another step forward. He removed his eye patch, like he had done for the others, to reveal his golden wolf's eye.

"I know." The woman whipped her head around, fear pained clear as day in her pretty blue eyes.

"The maiden, Cheza, is no longer needed here, right? She's not needed here, anymore." He came closer to her, his eye shining. The woman tried to move away, but she'd already been trapped by his eye. He looked down at her name tag, then back at her.

"Cher…what a lovely name. Look around, Cher, all of your coworkers have fallen asleep. Watching her for me must have been so tiring, and you do look tired. Cher, you should rest. Please, rest."

Her blue eyes grew hazy, and it wasn't long before she crashed to the floor, unconscious. He looked from her to Cheza. She'd watched the whole thing, emotionless as he moved to release her. With the press of a few buttons, the liquid began to drain from her prison.

"Long time no see Cheza."


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Next Chapter will be a flashback. Enjoy!

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Mina ran, after the faint floral scent. It hung in her nose, driving her mad. She'd never been this close before. In all her years, she'd never been so close to going home. She'd smelled it as her pack crossed into the city, although it'd been almost unnoticeable at that time. She'd ignored it initially, writing it off as a ghost scent - something that just haunted her memory.

But when the wolves fought, she _felt_ the flower come alive. It hit her, like a flash before it was gone. She'd felt it, and here she was, trying to find the flower now in the maze that was Freeze City. She hated being in human towns. They were like rats in a domed maze, running through the buildings. Wolves were sitting ducks both out in the wild and doubly so in the city. Frustrated, she stopped running, coming to sit on the roof. She stared out into the skyline, anger making her blood hot.

"How freakin hard can it be to find anything in this goddamned snow globe? For shit's sake!" She growled, taking a rock in her hand. The sun set around her, warming her back as the city lights began coming on. Annoyed, she flung it through the air. She sighed and lay down on the cold cement, the top of the dome sparkling in the light of the fleeting sun. She knew she'd look suspicious up here, and she had to keep moving or go onto the ground below. But being so close to the sky was relaxing. She could see stars beginning to pop and twinkle in the sky. Slowly, Mina raised an an arm, hand extended to touch the speckles of light.

"So close, but so far…how cruel," a small smile formed on the dire wolf's face, and she let herself emit an amused noise. In the distance, a series of howls rang out. Mina's ears twitched, moved to pinpoint the noise. The smell still clung to her, causing her to hesitate. Gun shots followed.

_Is it that old man? He kinda doesn't seem like the kind of guy to ask for reinforcement….and I doubt that mutt of his is doing any shooting_

Figuring she'd go see what the commotion was about, Mina ran out. The commotion was a short distance away from her, close to the wall. She dropped onto her stomach, wriggling toward the edge of the building she now took perch on. there were a group of armed men, in armor, grouped around the wolves she'd heard a few moments ago.

"Death by firing squad," she whispered, looking down at the dead wolves that had once been a part of her pack. Fenrir stood among them, looking between the armed men with obvious fear. Mina raised an eyebrow, watching for what he'd do now. There were two wolves left: Fenrir, with Kizu behind him. It was obvious they would both die if something didn't happen soon. Fenrir caught her scent and turned in her direction.

"Mina! I know you're there! You have to do something!" He whined. Mina wrinkled her nose, still peeking over the building at them. They were really howling now, as the firing squad lifted their weapons again to finish the job. Kizu, ironically, showed no sign of fear. The black wolf snorted, getting up and walking away. The last few bits of the sun fell, and night began. Fenrir called after her, desperate.

"You are weak," she said. Despite the distance, she knew both wolves could hear her just fine. "Their deaths are _your_ responsibility. I charged you with the task to protect your pack and -" Gunshots popped loudly into air, and bird flew overhead to get away from the sound of danger.

"it looks like you failed," she added, running off again.

xXx

"Hey, Hige, what's up with all the gunshots around here?" The white wolf asked. They were sitting on the steps of a building, in front of a food stall. Hige, a red wolf, was nibbling away on his food. He looked up at him, shaking his head. This was the second time he'd heard gunshots, not counting the time he'd been shot by that human earlier. Though he felt good, and was glad to have some food in his belly, he felt like he was off-task. He'd smelled the Lunar Flower, but here he was shooting the breeze with a collared wolf.

"Well, there are always military guys shooting around here. The place is pretty dangerous with thieves and all that." Hige said, mouth full of food. Kiba ate, looking at the sky. They'd seen a ship fly overhead, towards the scent. And then the gunshot….it made him feel weird, like something bad was going to happen. He'd been following this smell for as long as he could remember. It hadn't been fruitful as of yet, but Freeze city was the one place where the smell went from faint to kind of noticeable. It wasn't a huge jump, but it was big for what it was. And it was enough for him.

"Hey, do you smell that?" Hige asked, sniffing the air. Kiba inhaled as well, but the only thing he could really smell was the Flower. He knew Hige was kind of sick of his talk about Paradise, so he didn't bring it up.

"No, what is it?" A smile grew on Hige's face, as he looked up to the roof of a building. Hige looked back at him, brows moving up and down.

"It's a girl…up there." The boys turned again, to see the she-wolf leaping from building to building. She was moving, at top-speed, in the same direction as the ship had gone. Despite it being dark, she still wore round sunglasses, and her hair was tucked into a jacket.

"Hey, Kiba, you say that's the direction of the flower scent right? Wanna follow her and see where she goes?" Kiba looked at Hige, brow raised.

"I thought you weren't interested?" Hig got up, running down the street.

"If a pretty girl is involved, I'm always interested." Kiba shrugged, following him. They hadn't even gotten a good look at her, but it was rare to see a female wolf. He could understand Hige's interest, though from a slightly different standpoint. He didn't know for sure, but he felt she'd been running towards the source of the floral scent for a reason. It was rare to see a she-wolf, and even rarer to see someone who believed like he did in PAradise.

The boys ran through the street, following the girl.

xXx

Mina, getting sick of the two following her, jumped onto the ground level. She'd ignored it for a while,but at the mouth of the lab she realized they were still following closely behind. The scent was strong, stronger than ever before, and being so close to it put her in the mood to entertain at least a few shenanigans. The two wolves,stopped before her, panting.

"Is there a reason you're following after me like dogs in heat? Because it's nowhere near time for any of that," she hissed. In her human, she tapped her foot. She looked between the collared one to the white wolf she recognized from earlier. They took on their human form, looking at her curiously. The boy with the collar spoke up. His friend, just looked at her with big blue eyes.

"Well, I'm Hige. Me and my companion Kiba, that's this brooding gentleman behind, we just wanted to make sure our eyes didn't deceive us. It's rare seeing cute girls here" Mina rolled her eyes. The smell was softening her usually sour demeanor, and she felt a smile trying to come together on her lips.

"Is that true, Kiba?" She teased, feeling the smell pulling and clawing at her senses. She hadn't smelled that in so long, it was making her head swim, and she felt herself running on the high the scent gave her.

"Kind of. I just came because I think you can smell it too." She tilted her head at him, not fighting the serene smile that had been trying to claw it's way to the surface.

"The smell of Paradise? Just a fairytale," she said, turning her back to them. She looked up, jumping onto the cantilever above the door, seeing an opening she could climb through. Hige protested behind him, but Kiba stepped to follow her.

"Even the most outrageous stories have a little truth to them. And the truth is in that lab, isn't it?" High of the smell of the Lunar flower, she just laughed, jumping to run into the opening.

"Hey, wait up!" Hige called behind them.

The trio continued, close to the entrance. But, overhead stood a dark figure.

"Hello, wolves. And, I must thank you for awakening the Flower Maiden." Mina looked at him, then at the girl in his arms. She furrowed her brow, confused.

That's where the smell came from? But, she's a girl. Where is the flower?

Then she looked up at the figured, shrouded in his dark cloak. A mask covered his face, and an eyepatch sat over his right eye. She looked between him, then the girl again, as the memories snapped into place.

_Darcia. _

She snarled at him, preparing to take the Flower Maiden from him. Whether or not his arms would come along was a matter to be decided on later. He looked at her, his expression not discernible under the mask.

"That's the Flower?" Kiba asked, looking to Mina as she bared her teeth at the hidden noble before them. She ignored him, body tensing to leap at him. Underneath the mask, she heard the cursed noble chuckling. He put a hand around the Flower Maiden's neck, raising her into the air with a single hand. She was awake, her eyes downcast. IT was painful, watching as he wrapped his hand tightly around her throat. Mina stopped growling, feeling like her own air was being stolen from her. Tears welled up in the girls pink eyes, and he let her go long enough for her to scream.

The scream swallowed them all up, ringing like bells. The three flinched, with Kiba and Hige shocked at the effect her cry gave. Then, in a flash of light, Darcia and the Flower Maiden were gone. They were only left with the lingering scent, as faint as it'd ever been. Around them, Sirens wailed, and they could hear men moving in their direction. Hige put a hand on her shoulder.

"We should probably go hide. They're the kind of guys who shoot first and ask later." She turned, relaxing her gritting teeth. Before she could respond a bullet whizzed past her, and she felt the skin of her cheek open. Warm blood fell down her face. Below them, the man with the half-breed stood, aiming his gun. Adrenaline in her veins, she wordlessly ran. Behind the wolves followed, flying wildly through the streets to get away from the hunter and his pet. She turned, heart beating wildly, to look into Kiba's now yellow eyes. They were observant, and curious.

"That man knew about the flower…and paradise. He said simply. Mina looked away, anger and uncontrollable energy coursing through her. As they moved towards a sewer drain, the anger subsided into a sinking disappointment. Kiba and Hige let her down first, and as she sank down into the dank and foul smell of the sewer tunnel, she was fighting back tears.

This had been so big for her. And it was gone, as if it had never even been here. She turned her back to the two wolves, shaking. The high crumbled, and she felt herself rapidly coming down into a wave of immense suffering.

_I was so close…so close._

She let a sorrowful howl out, and it echoed through the tunnels.


	5. Chapter 5

**An**: Only the first part of this chapter will be a flashback. I'm not going to italicize the flashback portion, just because it's annoying to read. I'll separate it accordingly. Enjoy!

* * *

"I've done…finally we can go home!" The nobleman cried, falling down before the doors.

_"_It took so long, but finally…Paradise!"

From where she was, Mina could see tears rolling down his face. In the expansive lab, she remained hidden in the upper level. She paced back and forth, trying to gain some control over herself. After everything she'd seen from the nobleman, she found it very difficult.

_That's not **my** Paradise_. she thought. It took everything in her to suppress the swelling tide of rage that was fighting to consume her. She looked from the nobleman towards the girl. She'd come to watch the noble, studying him. His family had been a long line of wolves.

But, at some point, they decided to live as humans. That alone, in her opinion, was enough to deem them unworthy of ever setting foot in Paradise. Anyone who turned on their kind disgusted her, especially to run after humans.

She'd found him by accident. As the full moon approached, she'd been looking for a place to run freely for the night. In the expansive tundra where Castle Darcia was, she'd found refuge.

She moved around the land where the castle was, preparing happily for the coming of the full moon. Then one day, she'd gotten into the castle while looking for food.

And that's where she found the man working, relentless in his efforts to recreate what the wolf realized was a false Paradise. The closest thing to authentic was the Lunar flower.

Mina hadn't known how he got it, but the smell was unmistakable. He'd changed the flower though, giving it the shell of a human girl. Despite her appearance, she was a Lunar flower nonetheless. In the time Mina watched her, she drank only water and laid in the sun like a plant.

He used the same girl, whom he called Cheza, to open the gates to his Paradise. The last time, she'd been outside, the sun was setting. The domed ceiling above them reflected the last few bits of sunlight, and Mina could see the moon slowly coming into the forefront. Her usually black fur had been fading as the day went on, as it did for every full moon. As dusk came, she went from ebony to a pale grey.

It was quickly getting dark, and the man moved through the gilded doors of the not-Paradise. As soon as he disappeared through, Mina jumped down to stand in front of it. Seeing inside the gates made her even angrier.

"It's all wrong. This is an abomination," she growled. She was gonna kill him, seal him inside. Something. This was an offense to the true Paradise, he'd pay. She looked down at the sleeping flower girl. After a few moments, her red eyes opened to look at the wolf.

She gave a small smile, extending an arm toward her. As she did so, she felt the warmth of tears on her face, and the room went from smelling like flowers to waste.

"Hey!" Mina frowned a little at her voice. It was too deep, boyish even. Cheza didn't seem to notice, and called out to her again.

"Hey!"

"Mina!"

xXx

"Hey, she's weird, Kiba…what do we do?" Kiba shrugged, still pretty shaken up by what had happened. After seeing the Flower Maiden, the she-wolf's odd behavior seemed like such a small thing.

"Why did that girl smell like that?" he asked, voice echoing around them. Hige continued trying to break Mina out of her teary daze, but Kiba was in his own. He'd always thought he'd been chasing after a flower, never an actual girl. From smelling and seeing her briefly, he knew she wasn't human. But she wasn't exactly a flower either.

_All this time, and I finally find what it is I'm looking for. I find it and I lose it, and now I have even more questions than before._

Overhead, he could smell the man and his dog approaching. He turned to Hige. He was in his wolf form, curled around a whining Mina. The scent of the hunter was getting stronger, and the smell of the sewer would only mask them for a short period of time before the dog found them.

"Hige. We have to keep moving. That hunter is still looking for us."

"What about Mina? We can't just leave her like this!"

He quickly moved over to her, nudging her to stand up. At his touch, she became more alert.

"That hunter is coming. Let's move!" The two male wolves ran off, but Mina stayed put. Hige, frustrated turned.

"Mina! Come on already! And what's with that noble guy? And that girl who smelled like flowers?" She wiped her face and looked between the two boys. The longer she stood, the more alert she became.

The hunter was close now, practically overhead.

"I know the sewers better than both of you. If you're trying to get out of this city and look for the Flower, we need to go this way." Above them, Kiba heard the growl of the dog.

"Come on! In the water!"

Following her lead, the two boys jumped into the thick muck. The adrenaline of the chase kept them from getting bogged down. They ran through the water, following her through the tunnels and dark corners of the sewer. The hunter got farther away, until his odor of alcohol and cigarette smoke disappeared altogether. Mina sighed as she sank down into the water to sit down.

She seemed back to normal, or as normal as the pair had seen before everything happened. Hige looked at Kiba, eyes wide. He moved to stand behind Mina on the cement above the water. He shook the water out of his coat then sat beside her.

Kiba stayed in his place, eyes focused on the she-wolf.

"You knew who that guy was." For a brief moment, her eyes got that faraway look again. Then, she was back to normal.

"I've been in the city long enough to know who the nobles are."

"Okay, well…what about the girl?" She smiled, looking at the tops of her knees as they stuck out of the water.

"You believe in Paradise right?" He nodded, and Hige sighed behind her. Mina ignored it, nodding at Kiba's response.

"Well, then you know the Lunar Flower is the key to getting in. The girl, Cheza, is the flower."

"So, it's real then?" Hige snorted, looking at the other two wolves. Neither was particularly bothered by his disbelief.

"So, if Paradise is real, then the Wolf Queen is too right? The mother of paradise? What's her name, Melinda? Melissa?"

Mina only smiled, standing up above the thick water. She turned to Hige, then continued walking down the tunnel.

"First of all, she was a Goddess. Secondly, her name was Mehina. Third, Hige, you just saw the Lunar Flower get stolen. Right in front of your eyes!" She called. Kiba looked at Hige, then followed her.

"That doesn't mean she's the Lunar Flower, or that any of that stuff is real! We just saw a pretty, good-smelling girl get kidnapped by some nobleman."

"Well we'll know for sure what's true or not if we go find her," Kiba said. Mina walked ahead, hands folded behind her back.

"It's '_we'_, huh? So we're traveling together? You don't know me, and your friend thinks I'm weird" She said.

"Hey! I didn't mean it like that. I like beautiful girls with weird personalities is all!" Hige whined.

"I don't see why not. You're looking for Paradise same as me, we can cover more ground faster,"he turned to Hige,"what about you?" Before Hige could answer, there was the sound of a gunshot over head. Kiba ran ahead of the other, following the reverberation of the shot. He picked up speed, smelling a new wolf. There was a sewer cover over head, and he quickly went up the ladder to pop it open.

"Kiba!" Hige called, running toward him. The hunter was somewhere nearby, probably looking for them.

_But if he's fired a shot…there's **another** wolf in Freeze City?_ he thought as he and Mina ran to Kiba. As they got closer to Kiba, a boy dropped down into the sewer water below. He whined on impact, but seemed okay.

"Hey, that hunter after you?" Hige asked, checking him for bleeding. Mina smiled at the redheaded kid, leaning over. She helped him up, put him on the concrete.

"Thanks. I'm fi- hey! You're the girl from earlier!" He said, eyes wide.

"You know each other?"Hige asked. Mina shrugged, patting the kid on the head.

"We met briefly. You okay kid?" The red wolf nodded.

"But my friend, Tsume, he saved me from that guy and his pet. He got away - I think- and he's probably nearby."

"Would he be willing to travel with us?" Kiba asked. He ran ahead of the group. They followed behind, with Mina hot on his trail. Toward the rear, Hige introduced the boy to everyone.

"The quiet, moody guy is Kiba. The girl is Mina, she's cute, but weird… so keep your distance. I'm Hige, the looker and brains of the group." The red wolf smiled, laughing at the introductions.

"Well, I'm Toboe, and it's nice to meet all of you. Hey Kiba, you asked if Tsume wanted to come with you guys?" He turned the corner, and ahead there was another ladder.

"The invitation was for you too, Toboe."

"Well, you guys are heading for the city limit of Freeze City…where can we go?"

The group stopped under the sunlight coming from the sewer grate. Kiba pounced on the ladder, fingers gripping the grates of the bar. He looked down at them, then focused on Toboe.

"We're going to Paradise."


End file.
